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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stock — goods
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stock — shares
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com